My Movie Year – 1999

If I had been asked what my movie year was I would have said 1999. It includes two of my all time favourite movies (Fight Club and Run Lola Run) as well as having around ten great films not just the five I set down as a prerequisite for inclusion. But then I asked this question of others and started doubting my own choice, there is a slight snag, on closer inspection Run Lola Run, although released to most of the world in ‘99 is actually a ‘98 film, and after Fight Club and The Matrix, there may be another eight great films but are they all time classics? I have spent the last week looking at other great years but just keep coming back to 1999. It possibly helps that all the chosen films are ones I saw in the cinema on there original release and are not things I discovered over time.

Fight Club:what more is there to say about Fight Club, it is a supremely well made movie that works on every level from a simply enjoyable movie through to a timely or even prophetic satire. The more times you see it, the more you get out of it that is why it stands up as one of my all time favourite movies. It remains the best work for director David Fincher and stars Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.

The Matrix: 1999 was supposed to be all about the Star Wars prequels but lets be honest Jar Jar fucking Binks wasn’t the only problem with The Phantom Menace. Fortunately, there was another sci-fi movie that not only was it a great film but also influenced and even changed the genre for ever, we are still seeing the effects of it today. Written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers, The Matrix is problebly the biggest thing to happen in Sci-Fi since the original Star Wars.

Go: on the surface, Go is just another teen slacker movie but it goes so much further than that, with a great structure involving three intertwined stories there is something for everyone to relate to. I can think of no way the movie could be improved, that is how good it is. On top of all that, the cast includes Sarah Polley, Timothy Olyphant and William Fichtner, three of the most talented and underrated actors around.

Eyes Wide Shut: the auteur Stanley Kubrick was hardly what you would call prolific, when his final film Eyes Wide Shut came out it was more than a decade after his previous work Full Metal Jacket. As different and as good as any of his previous movies it has been unfairly overlooked in recent years, having watched it again recently I am happy to report it has aged well and is a truly great film.

The Straight Story: For David Lynch to make such a conventional movie almost feels subversive, the fact he does it so well reminds us what a great director he is. Both embracing and twisting the conventions of the road movie. Richard Farnsworth’s subtle performance is amazing earning him a best actor Oscar nomination two decades after his best supporting actor nod

Bonus film:

Run Lola Run (1998) as mentioned above Run Lola Run is really a 1998 movie, but as most of the world didn’t get it until 1999 I have added it to my ‘99 list. Essentially telling the same twenty minute story three times but changing depending on the decisions the protagonists take. The film that gave director Tom Tykwer and stars Franka Potente and Moritz Bleibtreu internationally recognition has so much going on and so much to offer that it has been hugely influential.

29 Responses

Great post and a great project Andy! You have choosen wisely. 1999 is a truly spectacular year.

My top 5 of 1999 might have been: The Matrix (of course), The straight story (saw it recently and it is still a masterpiece), The Thomas Crown affair (Rene Russo and Pierce Brosnan sizzles on the screen), Office space (I hate those damn printers) and Being John Malcovich (a little bit of John Cusack is never wrong),

Not sure how someone hates The Sixth Sense but I’m assuming it doesn’t bode well for your view of M. Night’s other films. He’s a director I continue to defend fervently…so long as he doesn’t make any more Airbenders.

Without boring you too much with my opinion, I think The Sixth Sense succeeds or fails on its twist. The problem for me, I saw the twist coming, and found the rest of the film very average. The reason I hate it is because I keep being told how great it is.

As for the other M. Night Shyamalan movies: I love Unbreakable, can only vaguely remember Signs, really like The Village, The Happening is dull beyond belief and worse than The Sixth Sense, I haven’t seen The Last Airbender or Lady in the Water.

Like you I also opted for 1999, one year which just seemed to produce one great film after another.
“Go” came so close to making my list, as out of the “Pulp Fiction” imitators this was one of the best, while containing enough style and smarts to stand on it’s own merits.
Still have to see “Eyes Wide Shut” but after seeing it on your list, it’s just further proof I need to get around it watching it soon.
Thanks for running this 🙂

I think Fight Club and The Matrix are tops for the year without question. I’ve seen Eyes Wide Shut a number of times, but each viewing just leaves me asking the same question of myself “why’d I waste my time watching this AGAIN!?”

Other films I enjoyed from the year were: The Sixth Sense (I understand your argument against, but I just can’t short change it because of how good I truly feel it was), American Beauty, The Green Mile, and American Pie.

Again, thanks for putting this together Andy. It was a lot of fun doing, and has been a lot of fun reading everyone’s choices.

I too did 1999 so great minds think alike! I debated doing Go because I love it but in the end the other movies were too good although if I had known a “bonus film” was allowed it’d be there haha. Awesome blogathon!!

Thanks again for organizing all this! I was just talking with some co-workers a few weeks ago about Fight Club (I forget the context), and they couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it. Will have to rectify that glaring error soon.

Eyes Wide Shut is an interesting choice. I recall the critics being bewildered by it, and saying it was proof that Kubrick had lost it. It’s one of those sleepers that demands at least a second viewing, and is far, far better than the critics give it credit for.

I love Go, but haven’t seen it for years.

P.S.: Hey, I didn’t know we could do a bonus pick! I’ll have to add a bonus title to my post now (ha!)

Thanks again for organizing all this. Just a few weeks ago I was talking with some friends about Fight Club (I forget the context), and they couldn’t believe I hadn’t seen it. I’ll plan to rectify that glaring error soon.

Eyes Wide Shut is an interesting choice. I recall the critics being very unkind to it, and saying it was proof that Kubrick had finally lost it. It’s one of those films that demands at least a second viewing, and is much, much better than the critics gave it credit for.

I love Go, but haven’t seen it in years.

Hey, I didn’t know we got a bonus pick… maybe I should update my own post…

Snap! My runner up films would have probably been Sleepy Hollow and Girl, Interrupted.

I agree with you that The Matrix was probably the biggest thing to happen in the sci-fi genre since the original Star Wars. Alien created a fantastic beastie but The Matrix really pushed the boundaries and explored the alternative/real reality question.

Excellent selection. I loved Go when I was younger, I haven’t seen it in years but not seen anyone mention it on any film blogs before now! Run Lola Run is fantastic, really need to purchase that on blu ray.